Hucks starter dog

[tyrodtom]

I've noticed on a lot of Japanese army aircraft, and some Russian also, that they have a fixture on the end of the propeller hub for a starter truck to back up to the aircraft and start the engine.
Did these aircraft have other means of starting the engine, like hand cranked inertia staters ? Or was the Hucks all they had ?

If it was only Hucks or nothing, I imagine sudden surprize air attacks really turned some IJA airfields into cunfusion, with a few starter trucks trying to start a lot of aircraft .

 

[Engineman]

I saw this old question and no replies, so here is some info.
The Hucks starter dog was a simple claw on the front of the prop boss that could be engaged by an adjustable drive shaft on the back of a suitable truck. The drive was quite basic because the alignment of the drive and the prop was often very basic or angled.
These starters evolved because the early aero engines had been hand-swung and, as they got bigger, other methods of turning the engine for starting were needed. Electrical, pneumatic, inertia and cartridge starters evolved but the Hucks type starter was popular, especially in the 1920's/30's and beyond in basic or remote regions.

Eng

 

[Wurger]

 

[ThomasP]

re

Did these aircraft have other means of starting the engine, like hand cranked inertia staters

Most pre- & early-war IJA & IJN fighters and light attack aircraft used hand-crank inertia starters. As the war progressed and the aircraft and engines got bigger they began to use electric driven inertia starters more. Larger multi-engine aircraft, both pre- and early-war used either a combination of hand cranked inertia and electric driven inertia starters, or all electric driven inertia starters (flying boats for example). On the aircraft with the combination of starters, one engine would be started with the hand cranked inertia starter - said engine would then drive a generator that would power the electric driven inertia starters on the other engines.

However, many of the aircraft could use starter trucks, as well as hand cranked inertia starters.

This is an excerpt from a translation of the Ki-84 pilot's notes:

Also check out this other thread:

"Would the Aichi D3A or Mitsubishi A6M Zero have an external or internal electrical battery to start its engine?"